Kopassus members told to be close to people

BANDUNG (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung told the red-beret members of the Army's elite force, Kopassus, to stay close to people and help them feel secure.

"ABRI is nothing without the people's participation," he told the members of the Army Special Force Command Saturday while inspecting the preparations for its 45th anniversary celebration next week.

Kopassus should establish good relations with people so that they feel safe when the red berets are around, he said at the force's training ground in Batujajar.

The force should also be able to absorb the people's aspirations and help them solve their problems, he added.

The event was also attended by the force's commandant, Maj. Gen. Prabowo Subianto.

In his speech, Feisal praised the Kopassus for a number of successful military operations it has staged in the past, saying it has logged "magnificent records of achievement".

He attributed the performance to the force's philosophy, which says that it is better for a Kopassus member to die rather than lose a war.

However, Feisal warned the force not to be complacent. "You should all remain low profile," he said. "Don't lose your spirit even though you are not well paid."

"You must also always learn and improve your military skills, in the anticipation of rapidly advancing technology and the people's growing demand for social and political changes," he said. "You must always be professional."

The military exercises for Kopassus' anniversary included the introduction of new tactics and strategies for handling rioting, armed robberies and any kind of terrorism.

Feisal was a member of the first group of Kopassus' officers, along with Minister of Defense Edi Sudradjat and former chief of the Jakarta regional military command Kentot Harseno.

Separately, Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Slamet Supriadi said Kopassus has almost reached the targeted skills that an elite military force should have.

The Kopassus recently completed its reorganization, which includes an increase in size and a modernization of its weaponry.

The force, which has an impressive record of putting down rebellions and of countering insurgency and terrorism, has been expanded from four groups to five groups, one of which will focus on counterterrorism, and its size has expanded from 6,000 to 10,000 troopers.

Before the reorganization, the force was divided into three groups plus the Detachment '81, considered the most elite unit. Now Kopassus consists of five groups: two for combat operations, one for education and training, one for intelligence operations and one for antiterrorist operations. (imn)